The best gadgets for your next road trip

Now that borders have well and truly opened back up, there’s no stopping you when it comes to planning your next road trip. Whether you’re planning a massive adventure around Australia, or something more achievable on a long weekend, there’s no shortage of gadgets to make for a smooth and enjoyable trip. Here are six must-have gadgets to have in your car.

Obviously, this is a no-brainer, and you should have your mobile in a cradle or holder every time you go get behind the wheel, but they’re extra handy for road trips. There’s also no shortage of options to choose from either, from magnetic holders to cradles. Not only does it stop you from holding your phone while driving, but it’s also great for navigation and getting you to your location safely.

These item locator tiles are a life saver! Because there's nothing worse than losing your keys, wallet, or whatever else might get misplaced, so far from home!

The Tile Mate helps you trace your last footsteps and track your misplaced items up to 60 metres away, with the help of a Bluetooth connection to your phone. It also has the ability to show you a map of where your item was last left, and the time that you left it there.

If it’s your phone that has been lost, press the Tile Mate twice and it will call your phone and make it ring – even if it’s on silent.

This one is good for those times you’re heading out on an epic road trip and might not be close to civilisation. While most mobile phone coverage is pretty good these days, it’s always a good idea to have a backup plan, just in case.

Mobile wireless routers are like your home WI-FI but for when you’re cruising down the highway. Some models even offer an external antenna for your vehicle, to get even better reception. These are ideal for long-haul road trips around and across Australia, or for those times when hot-spotting off your phone might not be possible.

These have gained in popularity since ride-sharing services have taken off, but having a car dash cam can also be a good idea when it comes to protecting yourself and your car while on the road.

Having these high-quality cameras allows you to record both the road in front of you and the inside of your car. With so many models on the market, there are even options that include an external GPS module for the dash cam, which provides you with information about your car’s GPS location, speed, driving route, and anything else that you may need.

All the data from these cameras are saved on a microSD card for you to access, download or share whenever and however you want. Most models also have a night vision mode, meaning even at night or in dark and foggy weather conditions, you will still get clear footage.

While charging your phone in your car has never been easier in 2022, it’s still a good idea to have a charger that allows you to charge multiple devices at the one time – especially if you’re on a road trip with a buddy or two!

It’s also a good idea to keep a couple of portable power banks handy, just in case you run out of juice while on the run. The Cygnett ChargeUp Explorer 8K Portable Power Bank with Solar Panels & LED Torch model is perfect for a road trip with friends, as it charges your device quickly (thanks to the solar panels) and has enough power to charge them up to 100% 3x times over so you’ll never be without a functioning phone.

This one might not be a necessity as such, but it’s definitely a great way to capture all your road trip memories.

The Go Pro Hero 10 is rugged and waterproof to 10 metres, meaning no matter how action-packed your road trip activities get, you’ll be able to capture the moments. There’s also a webcam and live streaming functions, to keep everyone following your journey from home very jealous in real-time, and it’s easy to transfer the files to your phone or laptop.

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